Mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus.



O. S...A,HAYDEN.

MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZQ, I919.

1 26,449. Patehted Dec. 30, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

3mm nto;

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O. S. HAYDEN.

MAH. BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY29, |9|9.

1,326,449 Patented Dec. 30,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

jwwwiioz Oscar" elite M1213 nine OSCAR S. HAYDEN, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA.

MAIL-BAG- CATCI-TING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 29, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, ()SCAR S. T-TAYDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oklahoma, in the county of Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catching and Delivering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail bag receiving and delivering apparatus.

The object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed, cheap and efficient apparatus of this character for receiving and delivering mail to and from passing trains.

Another object is to so construct an apparatus of this character, that the supports for the delivery and receiving means are interchangeable as are also such means used at the station and on the train, so that there can be no mistake in sending out the wrong parts when shipping an apparatus to any point.

Another object is to provide a delivery apparatus so constructed that a number of mail bags may be supported thereby and simultaneously released by the actuation of a single member.

Another object is to provide bag delivery apparatus so constructed that it may be re versed for use in connection with trains going in opposite directions and which may be used either on a train or at a station.

Another object is to provide a mail bag receiving apparatus which is also reversible and interchangeable in the same manner and for the same purpose as the delivery apparatus.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the com bination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the apparatus constituting this invention shown in operative position on a train. and at a station,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the relativepositions of the delivery and. receiving Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Serial No. 300,549.

apparatus and the delivery apparatus at the station in dotted lines, the delivery apparatus shown in full lines being in section,

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the supporting arm used in connection with both the delivery and receiving apparatus,

Fig. 4: is an enlarged front elevation of the delivery apparatus with parts broken out and in section,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the elements of the delivery apparatus,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the receiving apparatus, and

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. l. 1

In the embodiment illustrated, the delivery apparatus 1 constituting a part of this invention comprises a substantially rectangular frame 2 open on one side and the end members 3 of which have depending arms A at their free ends extending at right angles to said ends, and which are designed to abut against a supporting arm 20 presently to be described.

The free ends of the end bars 3 of the frame 2 are fulcrumed at their junction with the arms 4 to upstanding blocks 5 spaced longitudinally apart and supported by the arm 20. These blocks 5 constitute standards or posts, the upper ends of which are bifurcated, and the furcations 8 thereof spaced apart a sumcient distance to receive the ends of bars 3 (see Fig. 2). These posts 5 rise from blocks 6 intermediately the ends of said blocks, preferably midway thereof, said blocks having recesses 7 formed in their lower faces for a purpose presently to be described.

The supporting arm 20 which is reversible and interchangeable for use in connection with either the delivery or receiving apparatus, is composed of two flat iron straps or bars 21 and 22 having spacers 23 arranged between them at suitable intervals and through which and said bars pass securing elements in the form of rivets 20. A hinge knuckle 24.- is secured to one end of the arm 20 and has an arm 25 projecting radially therefrom and positioned between the 0pposed ends of the two straps 21 and 22 and riveted thereto as is shown clearly in Fig. 3. This arm 20 .is adapted .to be rotatably :passage of bag supporting members 28 shown clearly in Fig. 7, and which will be presently more fully described.

The blocks 6 which carry the posts 5 are designed to extend between the straps 21 and 22 of the arm 20. between the spacers 23 with the recesses 7 thereof arranged opposite the apertures 26 in said strap irons. These blocks 6 are mounted between straps 9 and 10,- the blocks 6 being of the same thickness as the s acers 23 and the stra s 9 and 10 arranged on their opposite faces and riveted thereto so that when the blocks are inserted between the straps 21 and 22, the straps 9 and 10 will rest on the upper edges of straps 21 and 22 as is shown clearly in Fig. 2. By connecting the blocks 6 in the manner above described, they may be removably mounted on the arm 20 and be securely held between the straps 21 and 22. Any desired number of these blocks may be employed, five being here shown, the two end members of which support the frame2, andthe intermediate members support the bag holders or supporting members 28.

These bag holders 28 are made in the form of bell cranks. one arm 29 of which is made rectilinear and longer than the other and provided at its free end with a hook 30 de signed when in operative position to hook over the front member of the frame 2. The

shorter arm 31 of this member is made cur vilinear with its free end substantially parallel with arm 29 as is shown clearly in Fig. 7, said end tapering toward its terminal and adapted to pass through the apertures 26 in one of the strap irons 21 or 22 when said holder is in operative position, and spans the space between the straps 21 and 22, being designed to support rings 32 carried by the mail bags 33 which are to be delivered.

A trigger or curved finger 34 is secured to the frame 2 preferably midway the length thereof as is shown clearly in Fig.

The inner end of this linger as is designed when the frame 2 is swung downward into operative position to be engaged with the free end of one of the arms 29 :of a bag holder 28, and when in this position the bag holder will be held in operative position and the'other holders will have 1 ,seame their hooked ends 30 engaged with the front bar of the frame 2 as shown in Fig. 1.

In the use of this delivery apparatus, the curved arms or fingers 31 of the holders 28 are passed through the rings 32 of the bags, it being of course understood that these rings are first positioned between the strap irons 21 and 22 of arm 20 opposite the apertures 26 therein, the hooks 30 of the holders being engaged with frame 2 as shown in Fig. 1 and the delivery apparatus is then ready for use, the arm 20 being positioned at the desired angle and held by any'suitable means.

The free end of the trigger finger 34 is curved upwardly as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and when it contacts with an object in its path, this finger will be raised, carrying with it the arms 29 of the bag holders 28 which causes their short curved arms 31 to move out of the apertures 26 and release the bags 33 which will drop into a suitable receptacle placed to receive them.

The mail receiving apparatus to which constitutes a part of this invention is designed for use in connection with an arm 20, similar in construction to the arm 20 above described, these arms being exactly alikeso as to be interchangeable when desired.

This receiving apparatus is made in the form of a metal crane composed of two ishaped side bars all and 42, constructed of angle iron, with their curved ends connected by a cross bar43. The free ends of the upper portions of the side bars 41 and .42 are connected by a double cross bar 44 composed of two flat iron straps 15 and d6 between which is riveted upstanding hooks at? and 48, the two ends hooks 17 having extensions 4:9 which are riveted to the side members 4:1 and 12 as is shown clearly in Fig. 6. The intermediate hook 48 is positioned midway the ends of the cross bar 1 1 'and these hooks are designed to be engagedwith the supporting arm 20, and are applied as shown in Fig. 2 at the right thereof, the bills 50 of the hooks being flared outwardly and i inserted between the strap irons 21 and 22 of arm 20, whereby the receiver 10 is detach ably mounted on said arm.

Braces 51 connect the long straight arms of the side bars 41 and 41-2 with the outer corners of the frame adjacent the ends of the cross bar 43 to enable the frame to re sist the strain exerted by the depositing in the receiver of the mail bags 33 dropped from the delivery apparatus as will bepresently more fully described.

Mounted on the frame 10 is a fabric re ceptacle 52, which may be composed of any suitable material, preferably of knit fabric so that no dirt or other matter will collect therein.

The receiver 40 may be mounted on a suitable support at the station, a post 53 being shown in Fig. 1 for this purpose, and a similar receptacle is carried by the car C, shown at the right of Fig. 1.

In the use of this apparatus, a car C is equipped with a deliverer 1 and a receiver 40 as shown in Fig. 1, which are mounted respectively on rods 55 and 56 positioned preferably on opposite sides of the car door, and on which are mounted two of the arms 20 designed to support the deliverer and the receiver, the deliverer being positioned in a plane above the receiver so that they will be properly located relatively to the delivery apparatus and the receiving apparatus at a station.

The deliverer l and receiver 40 are properly engaged with the arms 20 by a person inside the car, and the mail bags to be delivered from the train are suspended from the holders 28 on the deliverer, the trigger arm 34 of said deliverer being extended in a direction away from the receiver 40.

Arranged at a station for cooperation with the apparatus carried by the train are similar delivery and catching or delivery apparatus, the members being constructed exactly like those used on the train, the deliverer 1 shown at the left of Fig. I mounted at the station on the post 27 having the trigger arm 34 thereof extending in a direction in which the train is supposed to approach, and the catcher or receiver 40 carried by the train is so located that the trigger 34 of the station delivery cran will con tact with the arm 20 which supports said receiver thereby elevating the trigger and releasing the bags 33 from the station delivery crane and permitting them to drop into the receptacle 52.

The delivery crane of the train has its trigger 34: extended in a direction opposite to that of the station delivery crane and is designed to contact with the arm 20 which supports the station receiving crane, thereby releasing the bags carried by the delivery crane of the train when they reach a point directly over the receptacle 52 of the station receiving member.

The arms 20 which are slidable vertically on the rods 55 and 56 carried by the train may be held in out-swung operative position by any suitable means.

From the above description it will be obvious that the arms 20 may be interchangeably used to support either delivery mechanism or receiving means of either a train or at a station, and that they may be swung on their supports in any direction and reversed to adapt themfor use in any position.

This apparatus may be composed of any suitable material, the arms 20 being cheaply constructed by making the strap irons 21 and 22 as shown, and punching them with an ordinary punching machine, thereby avoiding the necessity of drilling the holes therein, which will greatly cheapen the construction of the arms.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are within the scope of the claimed invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1- 1. In a delivery and receiving apparatus of the class described, a mail bag delivery member, a mail bag receiving member, and interchangeable supporting means for said members comprising an arm having a hinge knuckl at one end and openings extending edgewise therethrough, one wall of said openings being apertured, said delivery and receiving members having attaching means for passing through said apertures into said openings.

2. In a delivery and receiving apparatus of the class described, a mail bag delivery member, a mail bag receiving member, and interchangeable supporting means for said members comprising an arm composed of a pair of flat bars with spacing elements arranged between them and spaced longitudinally from each other and a hinge knuckle at one end, said delivery and receiving members having attaching means for passing between said spacing elements.

8. An apparatus of the class described including a delivery membercomprising a standard, a bell crank fulcrumed thereon and having one arm curved outwardly and upwardly and adapted to support a mail bag, a pivoted member detachably engaged with the other arm of said bell crank, and a trigger carried by said pivoted member to elevate the arm of the bag holder and release the bag when said trigger is engaged with an object.

4. An apparatus of the class described including a delivery member comprising a supporting arm, longitudinally spaced posts rising from said arm, rectangular frame pivoted at its ends in two of said posts, means for holding said frame at right angles to the posts, a bag suspending member pivoted on one of said posts and having one arm to suspend a bag and the other to engage said frame to hold the bag suspended, and means for releasing said bag suspending member.

5. An apparatus of the class described including a delivery member comprising a supporting arm, longitudinally spaced posts rising from said arm a rectangular frame pivoted at its ends in two of said posts, a bag suspending member pivoted on one of said posts and having one arm to suspend a bag and the other to engage said 'frame to hold the bag suspended, and means for releasing said bag suspending. member.

In testimony whereof I. afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR S. HAYDEN. Witnesses:

RUSSELL H. CRANE, S. M. BRIGGS. 

